#Unstoppable21: IIT Bombay's Mehul Borad Shines in The Times of India’s Youth Init

The #Unstoppable21 campaign by The Times of India is a celebration of India’s 76 years of Independence. Its increasing global influence remains a source of pride even as it is driven predominantly by its vibrant youth population. These ambitious and spirited youngsters fearlessly pursue their dreams, surmounting every obstacle in their path, and garnering recognition for themselves and the nation on the international stage. The Times of India has chosen to recognize, applaud, and celebrate 21 remarkable individuals, each aged 21 or younger, for the #Unstoppable21 initiative. These 21 youngsters represent the unstoppable spirit of India across various domains, including the Humanities, Science, Sports, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Social Impact, and Entrepreneurship.

Handpicked by an esteemed panel of jurors including Mr. Nandan Nilekani, Mr. Vishwanathan Anand, Mr. Chetan Bhagat, Ms. Shaheen Mistry, and Mr. Govindan Natarajan, each of these young achievers tells a compelling success story that has the potential to ignite the ambitions of countless other youth, encouraging them to aim high and conquer the world.

The #Unstoppable21 campaign by The Times of India is a celebration of India’s 76 years of Independence. Its increasing global influence remains a source of pride even as it is driven predominantly by its vibrant youth population. These ambitious and spirited youngsters fearlessly pursue their dreams, surmounting every obstacle in their path, and garnering recognition for themselves and the nation on the international stage. The Times of India has chosen to recognize, applaud, and celebrate 21 remarkable individuals, each aged 21 or younger, for the #Unstoppable21 initiative. These 21 youngsters represent the unstoppable spirit of India across various domains, including the Humanities, Science, Sports, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Social Impact, and Entrepreneurship.

Handpicked by an esteemed panel of jurors including Mr. Nandan Nilekani, Mr. Vishwanathan Anand, Mr. Chetan Bhagat, Ms. Shaheen Mistry, and Mr. Govindan Natarajan, each of these young achievers tells a compelling success story that has the potential to ignite the ambitions of countless other youth, encouraging them to aim high and conquer the world.

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IIT Bombay’s very own Mehul Borad was one of the 21 youngsters chosen to receive this prestigious honour. Mehul created a car that can move on varied terrains and overcome obstacles with hand gestures. In their write-up on Mehul, the Times of India said, “Mehul Borad’s messy room at Hostel 16 of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, is a complete antithesis to his clear goals in life. Since the age of seven, he has dreamed of becoming a scientist, which brought discipline and focus to his life. From drones to remodelling an EV car, from creating his own robotic break dance to building a car that moves through varied terrain and overcomes obstacles with hand gestures – Mehul has used all his understanding of electronics and design for smart engineering.” Mehul chose IIT Bombay because “Here in IIT-B is where one finds the best brains of the country. So I too came here, to network, to meet and work with the best minds. After all, this is a great launching pad.”

The Dean ACR newsletter is delighted to profile Mehul for the October 2023 edition.

Hi Mehul! First of all, congratulations Mehul on being selected by the Times of India as part of their Unstoppable 21 Indians Under 21 Years. How does it feel to be part of this incredible group of youngsters? And what does an accolade like this mean for you?

Thank you, Ma’am! It feels absolutely amazing to be a part of this incredible group of people.

I was honestly very excited and I met amazing people at the event held in Delhi where I was presented with an award from the education minister. This is one of the best things that has happened to me and this is the kind of thing that I will tell my children one day!

What areas of physics fascinate you the most, and why?

I’m particularly captivated by two branches of physics: quantum mechanics, which explores the behaviours of subatomic particles, including perplexing phenomena like quantum superposition, where particles exist in multiple states simultaneously, and quantum entanglement, where particles can instantaneously influence each other, regardless of distance. These phenomena challenge the very foundations of our understanding of reality, and I find them incredibly intriguing. General Relativity, a theory that reshaped our comprehension of gravity, also captivates my imagination. Albert Einstein’s visionary leaps in conceptualizing gravity as the bending of space-time are awe-inspiring. The notion that massive objects warp the fabric of space-time itself, causing the gravitational force, is a profound idea that revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

How does pure mathematics fit into your interests, and can you elaborate on its importance in the realm of physics?

Pure mathematics holds a special place in my heart due to its abstract nature and its ability to construct complex theories from fundamental axioms. What’s truly astonishing is the deep interplay between pure mathematics and physics. Although pure math appears detached from the physical world, it plays a vital role in developing theories like General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. The act of posing and solving mathematical questions has led to critical insights that underpin advancements in physics. Surprisingly, the act of asking questions and answering them actually leads us to structures in pure math that even though they supposedly have nothing to do with the physical world, in fact, have been crucial to developments in physics and especially fundamental physics like General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. They really highlight the importance of pure math in the real world, which is often understated.

Why are you drawn to computer programming, and what kind of AI projects have you worked on? Can you describe some of the practical applications you've built with your programming skills?

Computer programming serves as a bridge between abstract theories and real-world applications. It’s immensely exciting to witness how logic and algorithms manifest as tangible solutions. Among my AI projects, I’ve developed a clothing recognition AI that can identify various clothing items from images and a sentiment analysis AI capable of determining the positivity or negativity of English statements. I have plans on making bigger projects on AI, like one that can make music on its own, one that can look into your past history of ordered food to help you decide what to order, one that can lip sync and figure out what the person is saying without any audio input.

Tell us about your experiences with the other projects you've undertaken, such as the binary calculator and the drone. What were the key challenges you faced in these endeavours?

One of my earlier projects involved creating a binary calculator, a successful venture that added numbers in binary format. I also ventured into drone development, and while my initial design took only three days to build, it faced significant challenges, particularly in terms of stabilization. An expert from IIT Bombay pointed out that achieving stable flight would require more complex coding and design adjustments than initially anticipated.

Can you tell us more about your collaborative project involving the line follower robot? Who were your team members, and what roles did each of you play?

I was part of a collaborative effort to develop a line follower robot. Our dedicated team included members Raghav Goyal, Akepati Sriya, Sara Mukherjee, and Vishwaajith. We worked collectively to design a robot that could autonomously follow a predefined path.

Who are some of your role models who have influenced your academic and research path so far?

My dad has always supported me mentally. In all of my pursuits, academic or non-academic, he was a very supportive and important figure in my life.

Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or resources that have had a profound impact on your learning or personal development?

Whenever I watched channels on YouTube like Veritasium, Vsauce, PBS Space Time, and Physics Girl – they really enhanced my curiosity and interest in math, physics, and science in general and were an integral part of me becoming what I am today.

What are your long-term career goals and aspirations? How do you envision applying your interests and skills in the future?

I don’t have any concrete plans for the future. I could either launch a start-up or I could pursue further studies. I am very interested in researching math and physics. So for my PG, I might join a foreign college too. Right now I’m mainly focused on learning and enhancing my skills.

Please click below to watch Mehul receive his award at the #Unstoppable21 award ceremony.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19k9vrWnH1dJHIBX3bfkzbw53HT-05Hht/view?usp=sharing

WOW!

Mehul Borad’s exceptional achievements at such a tender young age are a testament to the spirit of innovation and excellence fostered at IIT Bombay. Mehul’s groundbreaking innovations serve as an inspiration, highlighting the profound impact of IIT Bombay’s nurturing environment, and propelling its mission to cultivate exceptional leaders and trailblazers in the world of science and technology. As the Institute continues to nurture exceptional talents like Mehul, its legacy of pioneering research and academic excellence only grows stronger, ensuring a promising trajectory for generations to come.

We thank Mehul for speaking to the Dean ACR newsletter and wish him the very best moving forward. Undoubtedly, this is just the beginning and there are many more accolades coming his way in the future. We cannot wait to celebrate his future successes!

 

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